VAP and Nursing Interventions for its Prevention
Ventilator-associated pneumonia or VAP
Ventilator-associated pneumonia, also referred to as VAP, is an infirmity that occurs almost forty-eight hours subsequent to the receiving of mechanical ventilation and intubation by patients. Therefore, VAP diagnosis calls for a high medical suspicion along with regular assessments of the patients. Respiratory secretions need to be analyzed microbiologically in conjunction with radiographic examinations. VAP (Ventilator-associated pneumonia) is the consequence of several local factors as well as the microbiologic environment within a respective unit. Thus, the clinicians and nurses are required to conduct aggressive surveillance of the mentioned features within a given unit. It needs to be understood that patients suffering from critical illnesses are extremely vulnerable to resistant organisms. For that reason, it is absolutely important to use judicious antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of VAP (Ventilator-associated pneumonia) (Koenig & Truwit, 2006).
Nursing Interventions
As far as nurses are concerned, they can play a highly positive role in preventing Ventilator-associated pneumonia. It is their prime responsibility to adopt respiratory therapy interventions in this regard. It is an extremely encouraging fact that the VAP incidence can be minimized and/or eliminated if preventive techniques are utilized by the clinicians. Even the simplest nursing measures could be helpful in reducing VAP (Ventilator-associated pneumonia) early-onset. Such useful nursing interventions include concentrating on and tackling “modifiable risk factors such as endotracheal and nasogastric tubes, tracheotomy, reintubation, enteral nutrition, corticosteroid administration, gastric pH-modifying agents, supine positioning, prior antibiotic usage, poor infection control practice, and contaminated respiratory equipment, medications, or water” (Koenig & Truwit, 2006). It is also critical to make sure that the applied interventions are aimed at the mortality reduction, morbidity minimization, and cost reduction. The prime objective needs to be the utilization of efficient preventative and treatment methods that ultimately allow Ventilator-associated pneumonia patients to demonstrate improved outcomes (Koenig & Truwit, 2006).
References
Koenig, S. M., & Truwit, J. D. (2006). Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 19(4), 637-657. doi:10.1128/cmr.00051-05